Art of protectively treating wood and the like



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ARTHUR. AREN'T, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGIN'OR "1'0 ARTHUR AREN'T-LABORA- TORIES, INO., OF DES MOINES, IOWA, A. CORPORATION OF IOWA.

mm or PROTECTI ELY TREATING woon AND 'rnn LIKE.

To all whom it 'rrwurg concern: Be it known that I ARTHUR AREN'T, a citizen of the United tates,residing at Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Protectively Treating Wood and the like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

.. and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relatesto the art of protectively treating wood and the like; and it comprises a process of preserving or protectively treating such material by applying thereto a non-aqueous solution, more particularly a solution in a tarry solvent such as creosote or the like, of a metal compound.

which is hydrolyzable to yield a substantially water-insoluble compound of the inafter in detail.

metal. The invention also comprises the novel products resulting from the process.

The invention is particularly applicable to the treatment of wooden piles for protection against the ravages of the teredo or marine borer, and for the sake of a concrete example embodying the principles of the invention, the application of the process to treatment of piling will be described herethis specific use, but is also applicable to the treatment of fibrous materials generally, such as wood, wood pulp, paper, canvas, duck textile fabrics generally, etc.

This application is in part a continuation of my copending application Serial- No. 306 928, filed June26, 1919.

The difficulty of protecting piling against.

the attacks of the marine borer is well known,

The impregnaalone, such as creosote or the does not give the requisite protection. It has been proposed heretofore to incorporate inthe impregnating material metallic salts having methods have not met with a high distinct toxic properties; but such roposed Specification of Letters Patent.

It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to egree of Patented June 6, 1922.

Application filed November 14, 1919. Serial No. 838,088.

success, largely for the reason that the'salts employed were dissolved out of the piling by the sea water and the piling thus left exposed to the attacks of the borer.

"In 'acordance with the present invention, the described difficulties have been overcome and certain novel advantages'obtained by treating wooden piles with a non-aqueous solution of a metal compound which, upon exposure to moisture or water is hydrolyzed.

with the production of a metal compound substantially insoluble in water. In piles thus treated, the metal of the toxic com pound employed is tenaciously retained in insoluble combination even after long exposure to and contact with water and continues to exercise its protective function by ..virtue of its toxic action on borers and other impregnation of be mentioned alcohol, amyl acetate, carbon 3 tetrachlorid and other carbon chlorids, carbon bisulfid, etc. By non-aqueous solvent is here meant a solvent which is composed wholly or largely of a liquid other than water. If water is present at all in the solvent employed in practicing the process of the invention, it should be present. in proportionsinsufiicie'nt to cause substantial hydrolyzation or decomposition of thelsalt emr ployed and consequent deposition of an insoluble oxid-or basic salt during treatment "of the article or material to be impregnated,

I have also found that antimony'trichlorid can be dissolveddirectly'in tarry materials which are either liquid at ordinary tern eraf tures or can 'be readily liquefied upon eating; and among such tarry materials creosote is especially advantageous for present;

purposes. v In treating wooden piles according to the tion with creosote in the required proportions. The solution of antimony trichlorid in creosote, however prepared, may be employed .for impregnation of piling by any well known or suitable method, the particular way in which this impregnation is efi'ected'formingno part of the present in vention.

Piles treated with the described solution of antimony trichlorid in creosote are substantially proof against destructive attack by the teredo or other pests of this character even after prolonged submersion in sea water. Such part of the original content of antimony trichlorid as eventually comesinto contact with water as a result of prolonged submersion is simply hydrolyzed with the production of insoluble basic chlorids or oxids of antimony, which latter are therefore not washed out of the wood but remain there permanently as protective toxic agents. Among otherobvious applications of the broad principles of the invention may be mentioned the treatment of lumber, shingles, and the like, with creosote or other suitable non-aqueous vehicle solvent containing antimony trichlorid. Even where materials of this kind are not exposed to the attacks of borers, treatment in accordance with the invention offers great practical advantages because of the fact that such materials can be rendered practically n0n-inflammable in this manner. a

While the use of antimony-trichlorid has been particularly referred to in illustrating a practical embodiment of the novel process,-

it is entirely feasible to make use of other salts of antimony,-such as other halids, the sulfate, etc., and also to make use of similar compounds of other metals which in a general way behave in an analogous-manner when exposed to the action of moisture or water, and which are also soluble 'in nonaqueous vehicles of'the general character described. By way of example may-be mentioned compounds of other metals of the antimony group, that is, compounds of bismuth and arsenic, as well as compounds of tin. Compounds of all these various metals may be dissolved in one or another of the various non-aqueous solvent vehicles above mentioned or available, or in mixtures of said solvents, and in this condition may be employed for impregnation of wood or woody materials broadly, in a manner analogous to that already described for 'in pregnation of wooden piles with creosote containing an antimony salt.- N I In practice, however, I have found the employment of an antimony salt, especially antimony trichlorid, to give most satisfactory results. A salt of this type is substan-- tially instantly decomposed upon contact with water to yield an insoluble product.

What I claim is:

1. The process of protectively treating woody materials which comprises applying thereto a tarry solution of a toxic and fireretardant metal compound h drolyzable to the same with a non-aqueous solution of a compound of a metal of the antimony group.

5. The process of protectively treating wooden piles which comprises impregnating? the same with tarry material containing dissolved therein a metal compound hydrolyzable to yield an insoluble compound of the metal.

6. The process of protectively treating wooden piles which comprises impregnating the same with tarry material containing dissolved therein a hydrolyzable compound of a metal of the antimony group.

7 The process of protectively treatingwooden piles which comprises impregnating the same with tarry material containing an antimony salt. v I

8. The process of protectively treating wooden piles which comprises impregnating thesame with tarry material containlngantimony trichlorid. I

9. The process of protectively treating wooden piles which comprises impregnating the same with creosote containing antimony chlorid dissolved therein.-

10.'The process of,protect1vely treating 4 woody material which comprises impregnating the same with a non-aqueous solution of a toxic and fire-retardant metal compound hydrolyzable toyield a water-insoluble compound of the metal.

11. As a new article of manufacture,

:woody material impregnated with tarry Y matter carrying-a compound of a metal of the antimony group. v

12. As a new article of manufacture,

woody material impregnated with tarry ma-' terial carrying an antimony compound.

13. As a new article of manufacture, a wooden pile impregnated with tarry matter carrying an antimony salt.

14. As a new artlcle of manufacture, a

wooden pile impre ated with-creosote con- 10 tainin antimony c lorid.

15. is a new article of manufacture, a wooden pile impregnated" with tarry matter containing antimony trichlorid.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my 15 signature.

ARTHUR ARENT. 

